March 8, 2016

Currently, only 2.6 percent of Israel's electricity is
produced from renewable sources.

A renewable energy law could be in the works after the
Knesset’s Finance Committee met on Wednesday to discuss the basics before
bringing it for an initial reading in the plenum.

One of the points that bothered some present was that the legislation,
sponsored by MK Eitan Broshi (Zionist Union), would not spell out clean power
targets, but rather leave them up to a subsequent cabinet decision. It would
require, however, the National Infrastructure, Energy and Water Ministry to
uphold whatever decision the government makes.

Zionist Union MK Yael Cohen Paran was among those who slammed the idea of
leaving renewable energy targets up in the air.

Cohen Paran noted that on that same Wednesday morning, the Israel Electric
Corporation decided to continue using polluting coal power for an additional 25
years. “The IEC must be part of this revolution and only then will 40 or 50
percent of our power come from renewable energy,” she said.

Shaul Meridor, director-general of the ministry, responded to Cohen Paran that
approval was given for the continued use of coal to generate electricity out of
energy security and supply considerations.

Yuval Zohar, head of renewable energies at the Infrastructure, Energy and Water
Resources Ministry, told the committee that currently, only 2.6 percent of the
nation’s electricity is produced from renewable sources.

The ministry aims, he said, for that figure to stand at 10% by 2020 and 17% by
2030. He added that there is a quota for private producers to generate 3,000
megawatts of electricity from renewable sources, and for the IEC to buy the
power, but only 800 megawatts are being produced.

Meridor said that Israel is backward compared to the rest of the modern world
in terms of power production. “[Although] we have less water and wind
resources, we were blessed with sunshine, yet haven’t even begun to take
advantage of its potential,” he said. Though he praised this proposed
legislation, he said there are many roadblocks ahead of it.

According to Asi Levinger, CEO of the Ramat Gan-based renewable energy company
Energix Group, Europe invested $328 billion in renewable energy sources in
2015, “3.5 times the entire budget of Israel,” and 44% of power plants built on
the continent in the past year used renewable energy. “Worldwide, this is the
accepted way to produce energy,” he said. “Meanwhile, we are stuck behind every
obstacle possible.”